At the end of the Charles Darwin walk I came across another waterfall, this time with a name: Weeping Rock Falls.
I suppose it’s because it falls rather gently over the rocks, or perhaps it’s a place of great sadness to someone or other? You decide.
Tag Archives: wentworth falls
In the footsteps of change
I made a lunchtime visit to the State Library of NSW a few months ago, and was wonderfully surprised to find an exhibition about Charles Darwin, in particular, the time he spent in Australia while voyaging on the Beagle. It describes a visit he made to Wentworth Falls in 1836 while on the way to Bathurst. He wrote:
An immense gulf is suddenly & without any preparation seen through the trees… The class of view was quite novel & extremely magnificent.
High praise indeed from a man who had travelled extensively and was about to write a book that would change the world.
Having been to Wentworth Falls back in the autumn and seen the sign to the walk, I wanted to explore it for myself. It surprisingly starts off in the midst of civilisation – by the tennis court near the Great Western Highway.
I suppose there would have been no tennis courts back in 1836, nor would there have been any pine forests that the track passed through near the start, but it was quite lovely to have Jamieson Creek flowing alongside as it passes under overhangs and down little waterfalls.
It was also lovely to see the banksias and wattle out in force. Of course, there were plenty of birds taking advantage of the nectar. This one’s a lovely rosella.
Banksia
Banksias are ubiquitous to the east coast of Australia, where I live, but nevertheless are quite striking when in full flower.
Surprisingly, they are still striking even when their flowers have dried and withered.
Black Forest
Nowhere near the real Black Forest, but here is a fair imitation of the celebrated cake, at a very popular German bakery in Wentworth Falls.
More Autumn Glory
The autumn colour was still out in force last weekend at Wentworth Falls. Beautiful maples and perfect light made it a pleasure to photograph.
Rainbow Connection
Jamieson Valley already looks wonderful on a sunny day…
However, it is enchanting when a rainbow appears.
Reverse Waterfall
It was so blustery on Saturday that Wentworth Falls seemed to be flowing in reverse. The scene was spectacular. I stood and watched for a long time, even though it got a little wet.
Close to the Edge
One of the thrills of Wentworth Falls is walking along the ledge tracks.
Past the waterfall is the start of ledge track. Here, you are up against the cliff face, navigating the natural ledges, with a 100 metre drop only a few feet away.
It’s actually not as dangerous as it sounds, but I wouldn’t recommend the track to anyone suffering from vertigo!
Mind the Drop…
From the lookout, I walked down lots of steps, to the top of the falls. Here, you can cross via a set of stepping stones. Recent renovations have added a safety barrier – a good idea since the drop is quite substantial!
Wentworth Falls
Nothing is more beautiful than the Blue Mountains on a clear day. That’s what we got on Saturday, although the wind did threaten to blow us off the cliff tops at times!
We avoided the traffic jam of Katoomba by heading straight to Wentworth Falls. Apart from less people, it also has some of the most spectacular scenery anywhere in the mountains. Here, the cliff rises 200 metres from the valley floor, creating some spectacular waterfalls.
Static and Silence 